Harold De Lisle wrote: "I am working on the etymology of varanid names. Since you are the author of Varanus keithornei [sic], could you give me a one liner on Keith Horne? Dates, connestion to herpetology, ot to you?"



Keith Horne was born in Sydney, Australia on July 12, 1946. He was for many years one of the most respected keepers of captive reptiles in New South Wales, and has always been a keen naturalist and conservationist. He has no formal academic qualifications, no publishing record and no career to speak of - by his own choice. Much of his early employment years were with the NSW Government Public Service, but this was discontinued when he saved enough money to retire early and concentrate on reading and studying all aspects of natural history. On occasion he came out of retirement to work for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Scientific Services Unit in the provision of expert herpetological advice and field assistance on reptile surveys. In the 1960s to 1980s he was considered by experienced herpetologists in Australia to be also one of the most dedicated and talented breeders of captive reptiles, holding longevity records for a number of "difficult" species such as Tropidechis carinatus. Following the implementation of reptile licensing in 1974 he continued to keep his small captive reptile collection that he had obtained during the unregulated years, and attempted to obtain a reptile keeping license without success. In the 1980s his collection was seized by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service upon the discovery that he had never held a keeping permit! After he lost his collection, he effectively abandoned any active interest in herpetology, moved from his home in New South Wales to Cairns in far north Queensland, and took up Futures trading in the Stock Market full-time. Despite this change of life style, he was one of the late Charles Tanner's most trusted friends in herpetology and Keith spent many occasions caring for Charles' reptile collection at Cooktown, when he was away on field work. Keith Horne currently resides in Toowoomba in southern Queensland, collects antiquarian books, and is still involved with his Shares portfolio and Futures trading. Although he still has a strong interest in all branches of natural history, his "earlier brush with the System killed his interest in keeping reptiles" as he puts it. On a personal note, I should say that Keith is, as I have found, a quietly spoken and dedicated naturalist, ever-ready to share knowledge and skill in all matters herpetological. He is also a brilliant mathematician, whose only short-coming is that he calculates the future of humanity as virtually zero!



Richard Wells

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